The Magic of Christmas

Default thumbnail.

December 19, 2011 | No comments yet

Send to Kindle

By: Staci Stallings

Around my house, Christmastime is a magical time. I don’t know why that is exactly, but I know it to be true. For one thing, I have three children who each in their own way absorb the season. One records every last second with her camera.  One gets into holiday baking and cooking. And my little guy was simply made for Christmas.

He loves the lights and the songs and the tree and the stockings.  He wears a Santa hat with reindeer ears for three weeks, and he can’t WAIT to put up the decorations. You can see the joy and anticipation in his eyes any time Christmas-anything happens.  It could be a television show or visiting Santa at the mall.  Even Christmas Mass and going to the Grandmas’ houses is just… special for him.

And I think when something is in-your-heart-and-soul special, special things tend to happen to you.  Magical things that maybe everyone else doesn’t even get to see.

So this story, which really, truly happened, shouldn’t be that big of a surprise to anyone who understands magical, special things.  To those who no longer hear the bell ring on Christmas morning, every word of this is true, and I hope in the re-telling of it, you might hear a single jingle or a little jangle and remember that Christmas is magical because of the hope and joy our Savior brought us on that morning so long ago.Cowboy -- Chapter

Two years ago we had guests come to our house in mid-Spring.  I remember seeing the first one because it nearly scared me to death when it sauntered right by my office window in our backyard.  The second came shortly thereafter.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a real-life deer up close, but I will tell you–they are truly beautiful animals.  These two deer hung out in our back yard, nibbling on the trees and enjoying the peacefulness of our yard.  Then one day, I glanced out in our garden and was amazed to realize that one of the deer had just had a baby fawn.  I called the kids and we watched out our window as it took its first few steps.

In a week we had two fawns and two mama deer in our 2 acres in the back.  They were quite the sight all summer!  Sometimes they would leave, and we would wonder about them.  Then after a few weeks, they would be back.  Then in September, they left and I didn’t figure we would ever see them again.

Then… as miracles would have it… the day before Christmas Eve two of the deer showed up in our backyard.  Again, I was working, and again, that deer went sauntering right past my window.  I called the kids and the oldest grabbed her camera.  We took several pictures of them, amazed that they had returned.

I’m not sure who thought of it, but someone said they wondered if Santa was wondering where his reindeer had gone.  The two deer were quickly given the names Dancer and Blitzen.

My husband was working at the shop, which is just across the street from our house.  At lunchtime we were in the kitchen baking when a call came in on his cell phone.  He said to our 7-year-old son, “I think you’d better take this one.”

The caller ID clearly identified the caller… Santa!

My son got on the phone, his eyes wide as he looked at all of us wondering if it really could be Santa himself.  And it was, in fact, the big guy!  He told my son that he had lost two of his reindeer and he was really worried about them.  He asked if we had seen them.  My son said that yes, we had seen them.  They were in our backyard!

Santa was very relieved.  He said that it was okay if they just stayed here.  He would get them when he came through on Christmas Eve if that was okay.  Of course, my son readily agreed to that and told Santa we would take very good care of them until he got here.

When we awoke Christmas Eve morning (Santa always comes to our house early so we can go to the Grandmas’ for Christmas), there were indeed presents under our tree.  And when we went into the backyard, both deer were in fact gone.  We have not seen them since.

I’m sure glad magical things happen at my house.  It makes me remember that sometimes you have to believe before you can see.

 

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers.

Read More

Being a Cheerleader

Default thumbnail.

June 20, 2011 | No comments yet

By:  Staci Stallings I’m reading a very interesting book called “The Joy of Encouragement.”  In the book the author David Jeremiah talks about being a parent and the things that parents are expected to be to their kids–provider, shelterer, nurturer, disciplinarian.  But he says that one of the most important roles a parent…

Read More

Multiplicity

Default thumbnail.

April 25, 2011 | No comments yet

By:  Staci Stallings Here’s the problem with society today.  (Okay, maybe I’m making it a problem… or maybe not.) Let’s say you join an organization.  Or let’s say your child does.  Let’s say that organization is a school.  And for the fun of it, let’s say that school is private so not only…

Read More

Each Child a Mystery

Default thumbnail.

November 22, 2010 | No comments yet

By:  Staci Stallings I’ve been spending a lot of time with my kids lately, and one thing’s become very clear:  I did not decide what and how they were going to be. Oh, sure.  I told them not to spill milk on the table and not to hit each other.  I sent them…

Read More

Normal Moms and Other Freaks of Nature

Default thumbnail.

October 13, 2010 | No comments yet

By:  Staci Stallings You may have noticed I’ve been kind of haphazard in my posting the last couple of weeks.  I have a good excuse. I was busy on a project with God in which we made $70,000 net for one school by selling 4,000 raffle tickets, and $30,000 net for another school…

Read More

Nature vs. Nurture

Default thumbnail.

July 26, 2010 | No comments yet

By:  Staci Stallings The other day I went to my son’s gymnastics class.  During the class several of the mothers began talking about their children, how they learn, how different parenting is than what they expected.  Two of the mothers had only one child.  A couple of us had multiple.  One of the…

Read More